“This fair helped to popularise many local products. So the import of those products will decrease and save us foreign currencies. Some of our new products can attract foreign buyers,” he said at the DITF conclusion ceremony at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Munshi said the fair had more than five million visitors this year and that the business was good. He said it would be difficult to organise DITF in Purbachal because of limited space.

“Our export order increased to around Tk200 crore,” he said. The amount was around Tk 165 crore last year.

The minister noted that around 83 percent of Bangladesh’s export income comes from the garments sector. He emphasised focusing on other products to decrease dependency on RMG goods and develop markets.

Former commerce minister Tofail Ahmed said the export earnings would rise to Tk 60 billion by 2041.

Minister Munshi handed over crests to exhibitors for the best pavilion, VAT payers and senior government officials who assisted in DITF.

The fair has been jointly organised by the EPB and Ministry of Commerce since 1995. The authorities concerned extended the fair by one day this year at the request of the exhibitors.